Sony Working on its own Kinect

A patent filed in late 2011, but which has only been published this month, reveals that Sony is working on its own version of Kinect, Microsoft’s popular motion-sensing peripheral for the Xbox 360 (and now PC).

https://lastchance.cc/kinect-coming-to-windows-on-february-1-and-costs-250-5874646%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

Of course, the argument could be made that Kinect was Microsoft’s own version of Sony’s EyeToy (indeed, this new patent directly references 2003 trademarks Sony owns), a camera released almost a decade ago on the PlayStation 2 (and updated for the PlayStation 3), but it’s too nice a day here to get bogged down in that quagmire.

The patent is for a “USER-DRIVEN THREE-DIMENSIONAL INTERACTIVE GAMING ENVIRONMENT”, which would involve plugging a camera into a PlayStation and using it to read both a player’s movements and their positioning in a 3D space.

It was filed by none other than Richard Marks, the main man behind Sony’s PlayStation Move peripheral.

Now, as with any other patent, remember this doesn’t mean Sony will be releasing a 3D camera for the PS3 (or a future console). It just means the company is thinking about it.

USER-DRIVEN THREE-DIMENSIONAL INTERACTIVE GAMING ENVIRONMENT [USPTO, via PSLS]

🕹️ Level up your inbox

Don’t miss the latest reviews, news and tips. Sign up for our free newsletter.